Joseph F. Burnham was born on April 15, 1948, in Montclair, NJ, to Mr. and Mrs. Byron Burnham. His home of record is Bloomfield, NJ. He had one sister, Mary, and two brothers, William and Thomas. Joseph was a 1966 graduate of Bloomfield High School and was active in the Catholic Youth Organization of Sacred Heart Church, Bloomfield, NJ. He was employed by Essex County as a maintenance worker in the Hall of Records, Newark, NJ.
He entered the US Marine Corps in September 1967 and completed basic training at Parris Island, SC, and Camp Lejeune, NC. Burnham attained the rank of Private First Class (PFC). He was sent to Vietnam in February 1968 and assigned to 3rd Platoon, Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines.
Burnham was killed in action on May 19, 1968, just outside Khe Sanh. In the same operation on May 19, 1968, fellow New Jersey Marine, Arthur Rowe was wounded in action. He passed away as a result of his wounds on June 1, 1968. He is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Bloomfield.
Joseph’s brother, Thomas, was stationed in Okinawa at the time of Joseph’s death.
Source: Newspaper clippings and NJVVMF.
12/17/2024
